Blalock gets 6 RBI against New York

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL While Roger Clemens was looking for his 299th victory, the Rangers stretched the game to 12 innings and got the hits they needed to win

AP , NEW YORK ANDST. LOUIS, MISSOURI

Atlanta Braves Rafael Furcal points to the sky after hitting a solo home run of off San Diego Padres pitcher Jake Peavy during the fifth inning as the Braves Marcus Giles looks on Friday in San Diego.

PHOTO: AP

American League

Hank Blalock hit his second three-run double of the game in the 12th inning and the Texas Rangers denied Roger Clemens his 299th career win, beating the New York Yankees 8-5 Friday night.

Blalock also connected off Clemens in the second to give him a career-high six RBIs.

The Rangers snapped a three-game losing streak after being swept in Boston, where all the talk was about whether Clemens would skip his start Wednesday to win his 300th game at home.

Texas manager Buck Showalter took that personally, upset everyone was already assuming Clemens would beat the Rangers. But Texas got to the Rocket early, breaking out to a 5-1 lead and handed the Yankees their fourth loss in five games.

The Yankees tied it at 5 in the eighth on Raul Mondesi's RBI single. New York almost won it in the ninth, but left fielder Donnie Sadler threw out Bernie Williams at the plate on John Flaherty's single.

In Boston, Brad Fullmer was 3-for-4 with an RBI double in the seventh that gave Anaheim its first lead of the game after the Angels rallied from a four-run deficit.

Francisco Rodriguez (4-1) blew a 5-4 lead in the seventh but got the win when the Angels took the lead back in the eighth.

Troy Percival pitched the ninth for his sixth save in as many opportunities. Alan Embree (2-1) gave up one run on two hits and a walk in one inning. Boston made it 5-all on Johnny Damon's RBI single in the seventh.

But the Angels took the lead back when Eric Owens singled, went to third when David Eckstein faked a bunt and slapped a single through the drawn-in infield and scored on Adam Kennedy's grounder.

Twins 18, White Sox 3

In Minneapolis, Torii Hunter and Bobby Kielty each hit a three-run homer in Minnesota's rout of Chicago and struggling lefty Mark Buehrle.

Kielty drove in a career-high five runs, Hunter had four RBIs and A.J. Pierzynski went 4-for-4 for the Twins, who roughed up Buehrle for a career-worst 10 runs in his sixth straight loss.

Buehrle (2-7) gave up 10 hits, nine earned runs and two walks in 3 1-3 innings.

Minnesota hit four homers and got 20 hits in support of Brad Radke (5-3), who allowed three runs in seven innings to win his fourth straight start.

Tom Prince hit a solo shot and Doug Mientkiewicz added a two-run homer for the Twins.

Mariners 6, Tigers 3

In Detroit, Edgar Martinez homered in his third straight game and drove in three runs, leading Gil Meche and Seattle over Detroit.

John Olerud scored twice for the AL West-leading Mariners, who have won nine of 13. The Tigers dropped 21 games below .500 at 9-30.

Meche (5-2) won for the fourth time in five starts, allowing three runs on six hits in six-plus innings. Kazuhiro Sasaki got his fifth save in nine chances.

Jeremy Bonderman (2-6) gave up four runs on five hits and a career-high five walks over five-plus innings in his eighth career start. He struck out a career-high seven.